Early Files 5-31-13

Thursday

May 30, 2013 at 2:00 AMMay 30, 2013 at 11:00 PM

John Watters

PATRIOT FILE PHOTO June 2, 1983 SAND CASTLES – Susan Maddock, 11, and Maria Malaquias, 12, both of Hyannis, were among the competitors in the sand castle contest held at Hyannis Park during the holiday weekend as part of the Hyannis Harbor Festival. 1843

The fast sailing sloop Chas Everson, Capt. James Fish, has commenced running between Cotuit Port and Nantucket, and will run as regular as the wind and weather will permit, three times a week through the season—leaving Cotuit Port Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The Charles Everson has excellent accommodations—good cabin furniture and bedding, and is in every respect well-fitted for such a packet. For freight or passage apply to the master on board.

1863

We learn from Capt. Seth Crowell, of East Dennis, that the beautiful ship which has just been completed at that place by the Messrs. Shiverick, will probably be launched to-day. If not to-day she will be launched on Wednesday. She is nearly a thousand tons burden and of splendid model.

1893

It has been a quiet week in Hyannis since our last issue. Building operations have been rushed along at a lively rate. The Cash Block has improved wonderfully; Mr. Kingman’s cottage at Hyannis Park is nearly completed; Mr. Isaiah C. Sears’ new residence on Sea street has assumed form, and good progress has been made. Mr. John Smith’s men have done well on the streets, and the widening is about completed; fences moved and all the sidewalks put in shape. The road to Barnstable has been worked by the road machine gang, and rolled down with the new four-horse road roller. House cleaning is about through with, and the gardens planted. In fact everybody has been busy as bees, and there has not been much time for pleasures or entertainments.

1903

A double team driven by Mr. Wm. A. Jones became frightened at the Barnstable depot Thursday and started on a brisk run down the avenue. In turning the corner opposite the depot the cart body was unhung and turned on its side, and in front of the Patriot Office the forward wheels caught on a tree and the horses cleared themselves and in front of the hotel broke away from each other and ran home. The damage was considerable to horses, harnesses and vehicle.

1913

What might have been a disastrous fire was narrowly averted at Mr. Henry Leonard’s garage in Osterville on Tuesday last by the timely arrival of his son from school who spread the alarm and secured aid to put it out. Very little damage was done.

1923

Again the Sandwich fire fighters have proved their ability to battle with the great destroyer. Some of the men have worked 24 hours at a stretch, others snatched two or three hours sleep, and were back on the job again. Our older men are most valuable at these times. For years they have been familiar with every inch of the woods and none know better that they just how to plan the to rout the great wood’s enemy. Thousands of sandwiches and hundreds of gallons of coffee have been made to feed the hungry, thirsty fighters. Our young men and school boys have done splendid work and valuable assistance has been given by men of other towns. Many houses were in great danger. Dead deer and rabbits have been seen as well as live animals. A Legion fighter has put a dozen quail eggs under a setting hen. The brave little mother stayed upon her nest until the men came rushing upon her. Hundreds of people have dotted the hills watching the beautiful and terrible spectacle as the red, red clouds billowed up into the sky, moon and stars shining brightly beyond it all. It is remarkable that no one was injured in the three days and nights’ battle with flames. At one time Mr. Thos. Kelleher (warden) and Mr. Bertrand French were obliged to build a circle of fires around themselves and lie face down in the ashes, when the great walls of flames rushed by. At another time, a group of men were nearly caught. It was indeed a week of horror.

1933

William Marshall of Yarmouth has a goose that belies the assertion that all geese are silly and stupid as this one exhibits a rare intelligence. In the first place it has adopted Emory Sears as his constant companion, walking out with him or follows behind as fast as he can waddle, and occasionally talking to him in goose language. Almost every evening it makes a call on the home of James Ellis for a choice supper. Arriving at the door it knocks on it with his bill until it is opened, then he waddles in and quacks a little to Mrs. Ellis who gives him a bit of dry bread. Taking it in his bill he waddles over to some water in a vessel that is on the floor for his special benefit. He soaks the bread in it until it is soft, after which he eats it and then goes to the door, indicating that having obtained what he wants he is ready to depart. The door being opened he waddles off to his home.

1943

The Hyannis USO took on the appearance of a Night Club Tuesday evening as a background for the Cabaret that Miss Kay Nehubian has been rehearsing for the past three weeks. Miss Nehubian, who is instructor in physical education at Barnstable high school, has staged several similar affairs for the USO Club, but the large crowd in attendance agreed that Tuesday night’s affair was “tops” in performance and perfection of detail. The Swing Phibians from EAC played for dancing before and after the floor show, which was “M-Ced” by Andrew J. Reed, Jr., director of the club.

1953

A fractured leg has prevented the appearance of Joyce Richards daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adolphe Richards of Ocean Street, Hyannis, in two dance recitals in which she was scheduled to perform this week, her parents said today. Miss Richards, an Eighth Grader at Barnstable High School and a cheerleader there, received the injury in a fall last Saturday afternoon. She was released from Cape Cod Hospital Tuesday and the leg is expected to be in a cast for 6 to 8 weeks.

1963

On November 23, 1962, the contract for a new bulkhead along Ocean Street, Hyannis, was signed by Maranucci Brothers. Now, just 180 days and $135,000 later, the job is completed. The last construction equipment left the bulkhead yesterday when the Division of Waterways trailer was moved. In the fall the bulkhead leaned in and out in a crazy way, and walking along its edge was a minor obstacle course. Now it is straight and rigid, the walk so level that standing at one end, looking towards the other, it appears that one could walk straight into infinity.

1973

Forty-one percent of the Barnstable sampling in the first quasi-professional study of its kind made of Cape Cod citizens’ attitudes and knowledge of local government indicated they believe there is corruption in the town government. This disclosure was made on a WOCB Interview program by Dr. Barclay D. McMillen of Cape Cod Community College. 74 percent of Barnstable citizens interviewed indicate the present system of government is inefficient. 72 percent of Barnstable citizens admitted not knowing personally any of the elected town officials. 30 percent of Barnstable citizens favored town manager form of government, while 43 percent of citizens question in all other towns favored the present form of government. Forty-two percent of all citizens surveyed indicated “fair” as their opinion of their town government.

1983

Developers have their sights on Marstons Mills’ Danforth property, a 360-acre parcel of open space land including the Marstons Mills airport and the old county fairgrounds, as a future “campus-style” research development facility for a large corporation. Barnstable’s Economic Development Commission yesterday was presented a brochure advertising “Danforth Farms, a master planning development…(which) offers your business the opportunity to locate in a campus-like environment just minutes from New England’s business growh center and the unequaled amenities of Cape Cod.”

1993

If you were watching NBC’s In the Line of Duty series a couple weeks ago titled Ambush in Waco, you may have noticed a familiar face. Neal McDonough, now of Hollywood and formerly of Centerville, played a supporting role as one of David Koresh’s disciples in the two-hour TV movie on the events leading up to the February raid on the Branch Davidians compound outside Waco, Texas. This is the most recent in an ever -rowing list of television and feature film roles that has given him steady acting work for the past 2 ½ years. Throw in lead parts in several plays and it’s easy to say that McDonough, 27, has been pretty busy in a profession he loves. Baseball was his first love growing up. “Everything was baseball, baseball, baseball. All I wanted to do was play baseball,” McDonough said, When he was a junior at Barnstable High School he became interested in theater.

2003

After a week that saw a touch of chaos at the Centreville-Osterville-Marstons Mills annual meeting and some other unpleasantness between COMM and the Town of Barnstable over the proposed taking of the Darby property, words of calm and hope are coming from both sides. COMM Prudential Committee Chairman Nestor “Knute” Silva and Barnstable Town Manager John Klimm have had three or four discussions since the annual meeting was adjourned and both are optimistic that they can reach an agreement with which both sides can be happy.